This invention relates to apparatus for transferring panel-like members and more particularly to apparatus for transferring panel-like members, such as printed circuit boards, from a supporting cage by an elongated ram or bar-like member.
Heretofore in the art to which my invention relates, difficulties have been encountered with conventional devices used to transfer panel-like members due to the fact that they operate in an inconsistent and unreliable manner. That is, the ram member of such devices is not supported properly to eject a panel-like member, such as a printed circuit board, without there being some chance of damage to the board or the printed circuit thereon. Such prior art devices with which I am familiar, use the rod of a fluid pressure operated cylinder as the ram member. When this rod is fully extended, its forwardmost end tilts downwardly whereby it engages and scratches or causes damage to the photoresistant coated upper surface of the subjacent printed circuit board. This is entirely unsatisfactory in view of the great reliance and high quality performance required from printed circuitry today.
Difficulties have also been encountered with such prior art devices due to the fact that no effective sensing and indexing mechanism has been devised for aligning the uppermost printed circuit board with the ram member. Conventional sensing mechanisms with which I am familiar sense the rear edge of the uppermost printed circuit board and often on occasion malfunction after the supporting cage has been slightly damaged or bent. Also, conventional indexing mechanism usually included means for moving the supporting cage upwardly in predetermined increments so that it is stopped at each increment even though the supporting cage is void of a printed circuit board at that point. This causes an unnecessary waste of time and energy.